The Unknown Man: Book 1 in The Keepers of the Orbs Series (11 page)

Tirene stopped for a moment. He had no idea of the power the sword contained. He yearned to learn more, to unlock its true power.

Tirene approached the Elf. The air stung with the scent of burning flesh, and Tirene forced back a gag as he knelt next to his fallen opponent. His cloak looked in ruins, left to threads from the energy ripping through his body. Where the cloak disappeared, so too did the tunic he wore underneath. The intestines had been damaged as well; bile and stomach acid filled the cavity.

The Elf looked up and stared into Tirene's eyes while he laughed. “Fool! I should’ve listened. He was right, but I couldn’t do anything. You spotted me, it was only a matter of time.”

Tirene felt confused by what he heard. “Should’ve listened to who? Who are you? Are you looking for me? Do you know who I am?”

The Elf's laugh turned into a gurgle as blood filled his lungs. “Who, he asks. Why my master. The great one! You will all bow before him, before your time is at an end!” He started to cough. Blood covered his lips from his struggle and he muttered to himself, “He said to stay back, not to attack. To follow. See where he’s going. Follow. Stay in shadows.” He continued to babble, the laughing gurgle filled the space between words.

Tirene wanted more answers. “Who is your master? Follow who? Me?” He let his anger take over and shook the Elf. “Tell me! I seek answers. I can save you.” He turned to see what lay behind him. The flames from the creatures still burned white hot. Thick black smoke billowed from their remains, filling the air with an acrid odor. He spotted Liniana and Jaeden running toward him.

The laughter from the Elf started to die off, and his mutterings became slower. “Fool!...I...am...a...fool.” The laughter stopped completely and the Elf transformed before Tirene’s eyes. His olive skin faded to gray and the texture started to match the veneer of stone. His skin was consumed and the Elf resembled a statue. Tirene dropped the body and got back on his feet. As it hit the ground, it cracked and crumbled to dust. The wind picked up for a brief moment and collected the dusty remnants before carrying them away.

All that remained were a few burned strips of his tunic, breeches, and cloak. Tirene found a carved dagger with many bright gems festooning the hilt, and knelt down to examine it. He turned it over in his hands, marveling at the ornate designs that had been fabricated into the metal. Jaeden joined her and they both approached from the cover of the thick forest—their bows still clutched in their hands.

He turned to face them. Liniana shook her head, unable to comprehend what she had witnessed. She examined the torn remains of the clothing looking for any trace of the Elf. Jaeden looked like he had seen a ghost, and his skin had gained a green hue. Tirene drew the boy closer and put his arm on his shoulder to console him.

Liniana stared at Tirene, her mouth agape. “How did you...Who are you? I can’t believe what I just saw. In fact, if anyone had told me of this battle, I would shrug it off as make believe. I don’t know....”

Before she could ask any more questions he didn’t have answers for, he interjected. “I don’t understand either. Sometimes an urge to do things just...well, just overwhelms me and I react. I don’t have the information. Every day that passes, it seems I need additional answers.” Again, the urge to find Norlun overtook him. He shook it off.

Her eyes bulged in confusion. “I just...I mean that....you harnessed the spark. How can you know nothing about who you are, but when the situation demands it, you respond in an instant with skills most people dream of? I just can’t grasp it.”

“It’s hard to explain.” He kicked at the ground with his feet, sending pebbles flying in different directions. “I saw him spot where you were when you loosed an arrow. I was worried he would attack you with a spell. I had to do something to bring his attention back to me.” He looked up and into her eyes. “I just had this feeling to raise my hand and all I could picture was this phrase, 'Briest'. It filled my mind and consumed me, so I reacted. You saw what followed.”

Her lips parted, revealing a small smile backed by her beautiful white teeth. “I thank you for that.” She rummaged around in the tattered remains of clothing laying on the ground. “What happened to the Elf? I tried firing a couple of arrows at him, but he must have had a shield up because they just glanced off.”

Of course she did, you idiot, you keep underestimating her abilities,
he thought to himself. He looked over his shoulder at Jaeden. His face hadn’t regained its normal pallor and Tirene thought Jaeden would be sick at any moment. “His last attack backfired and turned on him. Whatever it was, it killed him. It burned his flesh and filled his lungs with blood. ” Jaeden bent over his knees, dry heaving. “We should head back to town.” He patted the hunched over boy on the back. “Relax, Jaeden! It’s over.” He turned and walked away, but hesitated. “We can talk more on the way.”

Eldrin hugged the shadows outside of the Hearth and Stone Inn. He waited for Ryths to leave the establishment so he could warn him Tirene should arrive in the town any day, if he hadn’t already. Ryths stormed out of the inn, looking over his shoulder. Eldrin stepped forward to approach him, but thought better of it because he seemed in a rush. Ryths charged up the street, not doing anything to conceal where he headed. Eldrin figured his intentions were to leave the city by the northern gates. As much as he wanted to catch up to him to reel him in, he felt it would be best to wait. It appeared he tied to escape someone, and if Eldrin caught up to him, they both would be in danger.

A man darted out into the streets, peering in all directions. Eldrin hugged the wall, sticking to the shadows offered by the building to his side. As the man spotted Ryths running down the street and started to pursue him, a younger man and woman came out as well. The trio stalked Ryths as they made their way down the dark alleys and out onto the city streets.

Eldrin waited a moment, and then took his first opportunity to follow them. It appeared the group had no concern for other pursuers, and never even peered back to see if anyone followed them. They soon reached the edge of town and Eldrin noticed the increased awareness of the soldiers guarding the gate. So many people leaving could only raise suspicions. He waited a few moments, knowing the land outside the gates lay barren and he would be able to pick up their trail. When the guards seemed to be more at ease, he left the town.

They ran to the outskirts of the forest. Eldrin assumed they were trying to circle around to surprise Ryths. His face twisted in a grimace from his annoyance with the current situation. This had to be Tirene, and if he turned out to be as powerful as Lutheras claimed, Ryths' party would soon be sitting ducks.

He entered the forest and slowed his pace to a crawl, trying his best to remain silent so he wouldn’t alert them to his presence. They stopped at the edge of a clearing and Eldrin crouched down at the base of an elm. They were deep in conversation formulating their plans, and Eldrin did his best to listen in. They talked in hushed whispers. He wished to get closer so he could find out some of their motives, but instead crept further east to stay well out of their way. He found a well-concealed spot beneath the twisting trunks of a cluster of birch trees.

Eldrin looked everything over and marveled at the plan the man laid out. It appeared he would take on the whole camp by himself, while the other two fired arrows from afar to confuse the Minotaurs of their numbers. Eldrin wanted to join Ryths in battle, but knew it would go against Lutheras' orders, so he remained a spectator.

As he watched, Eldrin stumbled back as a bright blue light overwhelmed the field of battle. It emanated from the man's sword, filled with the flows of energy. He heard an incantation and the blue glow of the sword shifted to a deep orange, flaring out to yellow at its edges.

Deep lines creased Eldrin’s forehead as he processed what he saw. It could be possible this sword contained an enchantment allowing its energy to flow through the man. This wasn’t a good sign, and Eldrin now knew his decision to stay out of the fray had been a good one.

The man had Ryths' attention now, and Ryths’ attacked with lightning. This should’ve immobilized him where he stood, but a shimmering white light formed half a globe that protected him. This too seemed to come from the sword and the man didn’t appear to control it. Frustrated, Ryths sent a ball of energy toward him. The sword again protected him, this time however, the sword sent the blast right back to Ryths. Too slow to react, the blast engulfed him and sent him flailing backwards. Eldrin watched as the man approached what remained of Ryths, and he knew it would only be a matter of time before the Elf yielded to the blast.

Eldrin knew how quickly a man could divulge his secrets when death ensued. Knowing the Elf would die soon anyway, he gave him some help. The man had already begun interrogating him. Eldrin crept in closer with Ryths in sight. He said “Rukalome dis proot.” He knew it would take less than a minute for the Elf to crumble to dust and disappear, eliminating any chance of important information leaking with him. Eldrin knew he ran a small risk, but hoped the trio wouldn’t understand what happened to the Elf. He waited and watched as they witnessed his last seconds, his dusty remains scattering in the breeze.

When they were well out of sight, Eldrin walked into the clearing. The stench of burned flesh overwhelmed him. He uttered more incantations and disposed of the Minotaur's corpses. He didn’t want to risk someone stumbling upon their remains. He walked over, hoping to retrieve Ryths' dagger, but couldn’t find it. Satisfied the field was devoid of any evidence of the battle, he pulled out his own dagger and created a doorway in the thin air. The Elf disappeared through it and the doorway vanished as if it never existed.

The northern gates of the town welcomed Tirene and his companions. The guards patrolling stopped them as they approached the gates. Jaeden’s face still displayed a light shade of green, and Tirene knew it would play well into his lie. He told the guards that they were teaching Jaeden how to use a bow on a herd of large elk they found on the fringes of the forest to the east. The guards had asked if they killed any, and laughed when they found out they had come back empty handed. Still laughing at their expense, the guards admitted the group back into town where they retired to the inn to finish their dinner, and get some much-needed rest.

They tossed around the idea of leaving town that night, but opted instead to get a good night's sleep in the safe confines of the inn. When they had satisfied their hunger, they retreated to the soft beds in their rooms. Still unnerved that Liniana would be a floor below him and out of his helping hands, he thought about making new arrangements. He shrugged it off and bid her a good evening, trying to take comfort in the formidable soldier she was.

Jaeden climbed into his bed without uttering a word. He hadn’t even bothered removing any clothing and Tirene realized the boy wouldn’t sleep well for a night or two, sure to have visions of the battle stuck in his head. It couldn’t all be fantasies and good times, though. Truth be told, he was glad they had a small confrontation, and they all had come out of it unscathed. He still felt shocked he could channel the spark. It wasn’t something he had prepared for, but then again, very few things had gone as he expected since he had awoken on that riverbank. He looked forward to the day when he could remember his identity, and could start to piece his life back together.

He undressed, crawled into bed, and grabbed the Elf's dagger. He lay in bed turning the dagger over in his hands. It was amusing to him… he’d been so preoccupied with Jaeden's distress over the battle, that he wouldn’t sleep very well either. He recounted the day’s events, and the more he thought about it, the more it bothered him. The Elf had been looking for him—the question remained, why? If only he had a small glimpse into his past, maybe he could begin to understand. The sooner they reached Riverfell and found Norlun, the better his future would be. Anything would be better than not knowing. As he thought about these prospects, sleep crept up and overtook him.

He awoke in the morning with the sun already up in the west. Surprised he had slept for so long, but feeling well refreshed and ready to travel again, he got out of bed and glanced around the room. Jaeden had already dressed and the boy gave him a grin.

“I still don’t understand what happened last night. I feel sick, and I didn’t get much sleep.” He laughed at the statement. “I’m glad to be on your side, though. When you started hurling fireballs, I almost couldn’t believe it. I wanted to drop my bow and run in fear.”

Tirene turned to him after he pulled on his breeches. “I can’t say I understand what happened last night either.” He paused. “But one thing is apparent. Somebody is after us. I don’t believe they’re prepared to fight us, but they’re monitoring our movements. We were lucky to catch them unaware, and I doubt it will happen again. We need to be wary in our travels and the sooner we reach Riverfell the better.” He worried about the danger he subjected both Jaeden and Liniana to.

“I think you may be right.” He nodded to Tirene. “I don’t want to face anymore altercations similar to last night.” His skin paled as he thought about the death and the smells from the battle.

Tirene laughed and shuffled the boy to the door. They walked out into the hallway, and a couple of servants were already there to gather all of their belongings. They let the servants into the room, and proceeded downstairs. They checked the dining hall and couldn’t find Liniana. Tirene looked at the boy and said, “Grab a table and order some food for us. I will fetch Liniana.”

He approached the door and knocked twice. A couple of servants approached his position as the door opened a crack. Noticing who stood in the hall, she opened the door and let him in. Her smile went a long way to calm his nerves. He returned her smile and said, “Good morning. I hope you slept well.” He walked into the room and saw her packed and ready to go.

“I slept, but it wasn’t well. I’m still surprised at what you did last night.”

He shrugged his shoulders, unsure of how to respond. He couldn’t believe some of the things he had done last night either. He let the servants into the room to gather her things. “I think we should increase our pace while we’re traveling. That Elf sought us out and I don’t think we can count ourselves safe when he doesn’t return to deliver information to his master.”

“I thought about that myself last night. If we increase our pace, I think we can reach Riverfell within seven or eight days.”

He stroked his chin as he pondered her words. “I think we should eat, and get back out on the road.”

She nodded her head in agreement and followed him into the dining hall. Liniana spotted Jaeden sitting at a table as a girl brought plates of biscuits and gravy in his direction. They took their seats at the table. The color returned to Jaeden's face and he devoured his biscuits.

Tirene still couldn’t believe how the boy could eat his food. “Get more if you need it. We’re going to press our pace and you won’t have many opportunities to enjoy food of this caliber.” After Jaeden scarfed down another plate, they went to a general store and stocked up on provisions before leaving town.

They put all of their new provisions into their bags and mounted their horses—proceeding toward the southern gates. They left town and followed the road heading southeast. This part of their journey would take them to the outskirts of the Havenbrook territory, but they felt it wouldn’t present too much of an issue because most of the countries were to be at peace. By the time they left the city behind them, the sun had approached mid sky.

On the road, a familiar voice forced its way back into Tirene’s head.
Hello, Tirene.
A laugh filled his head.
No need to be startled. I told you I would keep my eyes on you.

I knew you would, but I didn’t think you would be this close,
he replied in the same manner.

She continued laughing in his head.
I’m drawn to you and feel like I need to stay close. I wish I knew how we’re connected.
She paused and waited for him to respond, when he didn’t she continued speaking.
You were quite spectacular with your sword last night. I’m glad to see you relied on your instincts, even when you didn’t know what you were doing
.

He snorted.
Well thank you, but if you were watching me why did you not offer some sort of assistance? One of us could’ve been injured!
Anger grew within him; he tried to contain it and grinded his teeth.

I still need to know what our connection is before I show myself to the world. Besides, you had an audience you weren’t aware of.
She waited to feel his surprise, but continued when he didn’t reply.
Another Elf followed you to the clearing and watched the battle unfold. He’s the reason the Elf you attacked turned to dust. You need to be more careful and aware of your surroundings.

Alarmed to learn that someone had followed him without his knowledge, he tried to shake it off and retain his composure.
What is done is done. We’ve increased our pace to reach Norlun. I can’t take this anymore.
He was annoyed that Milenthia could monitor him, but yet kept hidden and still hadn’t revealed herself. He hoped she was able to notice it.

Milenthia interjected,
I know. I’ll keep my distance from here on out. Just be wary. I heard various rumors from the north.

As quickly as she entered, she was gone. He wanted to ask her more about the rumors, but he knew she’d no longer respond. He hated the popping in and out of his mind at her leisure. And she left again without revealing further information. Oh well, too late to dwell on that now, he thought.

As lunchtime approached, they spotted something lying on the road ahead of them. “What do you think that is?” Tirene asked. He looked around to ascertain the danger then jammed his heels into his horse to increase his speed. They approached the body on the ground. There was a wagon a little further down the road, still attached to two horses. “You two go take care of the wagon. I’ll take care of this.”

Liniana protested. “He’s hurt and could use my help. You two go and I will handle him.” He watched as she dismounted her horse and knelt down beside the man, ignoring Tirene’s objections and ushering him to his duties. The man looked well past his prime age, with a baldhead and a full, white beard. While hair remained absent from the top of his head, he had many tufts of gray hair on the sides and back. He lay unconscious, and several wounds were bleeding all over his body. Tirene and Jaeden caught up to the two horses and were in the process of calming them down, when Liniana ripped off the man’s tunic and started healing his wounds. After a few moments, the damage repaired itself and the man regained consciousness. He looked up with astonished eyes and gazed into her face as she sunk back, exhausted from the healing.